Holiday : Chiang Mai

It's close to midnight and it is way pass my usual bedtime. I can't sleep so I thought I should blog about my trip to Chiang Mai. FYI, like most of my holiday posts, there is a lot - I mean a lot - of photos so if you enjoy seeing just photos, this is the post for you! It was my first time to Chiang Mai and it was quite a pleasant trip even though it was scorching hot. It was so hot that the pool in the water at the resort I was staying at was hot.

I stayed at Siripanna Villa Resort and Spa which was absolutely lovely. From the service to the ambience to the food, this resort was definitely a serene place to stay. It is about 15 minutes drive away from the night market but its away from all the commotion which was my family preferred. We did some sight seeing on the first day at a few temples in the old city. I don't remember all the names of the temples but yeah, photos! We went to the Chiang Mai Night Safari later that night and honestly, it was really good. The animals have all been tamed in a way and it was just adorable. They were just all waiting for us to feed them as the trams passes by. I had an encounter with a really gluttony giraffe who stuck his head into the tram, sticking his tongue out for food before anyone even tried to feed him. It was a nice experience and I would recommend going. I didn't manage to take much photos as it really dark and I just wanted to enjoy the moment.

The next day we spent a gruelling 3 hours in van to Wat Rong Khun, the famous all white temple in Chiang Rai, and another gruelling 3 hours back but it was all worth it. The picture I took probably did not do justice to how beautiful the temple was, it really was magnificent. However the heat was unbearable. My feet were burning because of reflection of the white temple, I was sweating like as if I was in a sauna. The temple though, it was really one of kind and one place to visit when you travel to either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

On the last full day we had there, we visited the Long Neck Karen tribe and even though I was really at awe with the long neck practice, it felt too much like a tourist area and somehow lost the authenticity but then again it could just be me. It was a lovely experience meeting them, they were really nice. After that we decided to checkout the Tiger Kingdom but I was immediately put off but how the tigers were being treated so we didn't go in. I didn't seeing the people using canes to make the tiger sit up to take pictures and all, I just didn't the whole environment. Later that we decided to please my younger brother and go to the Chiang Mai Aquarium. Please, just don't go. It was no a pleasant experience. There were very little sea creatures and the water in the tanks seemed pretty dirty. The worst part was the entire aquarium stinks. The stench was horrible. It smelled like a bunch of dirty wet dog. I definitely did not enjoy it.

That night I also visited the Night Market which was filled with so many different stuff but it definitely reminded me of the Batu Ferringhi night market but a much bigger version. Overall I had a great time at Chiang Mai. Not a place I would want to visit again but it was a nice experience. The best part about the trip was the food. The food. Thai food. Amazing. Okay, I'm going to end here. Its late and I should go to bed. Till here, I hope you're all well! Nx